Police in Kilifi County have arrested a man suspected to be the co-architect, who alongside cultic pastor Paul Mackenzie are linked to the mass fasting deaths at Shakahola village.

The man, who revealed his identity as “Pastor Zablon Wa Yesu,” was discovered by police while reading a Bible inside the 800-acre parcel of land linked to cult leader Mackenzie.


Ironically, “Zablon wa Yesu” was not fasting like his victims who died by starvation claiming he was waiting for June this year to start fasting together with other senior church officials.

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As the “pastor” is being grilled by police over the mass deaths, police officers on Monday saved nine people starving to death with five of them hospitalised in critical condition.


Police IG Japhet Koome confirmed the bodies found in shallow graves at the Good News International Church compound rose to 65 after 26 more bodies were exhumed on Monday.

The Monday exercise also saw a total of seven bodies found in one grave, becoming the highest number of bodies dug in one site since the exhumation commenced last week and total deaths from the cultic church rising to 73.


Koome was flanked in his visit to the eerie gravesites in Shakahola, Kilifi County, by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Amin Mohammed and DPP Noordin Haji.

This comes as President William Ruto condemned Pastor Mackenzie terming him a "terrorist" over the deaths of his brainwashed followers and called for his prosecution and jailing.